Yearbook of Global

Climate Action 2020

Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Global
Climate
Action Global Climate Action
© 2020 UNFCCC
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement

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 Yearbook of Global
Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
ii Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Photo: Eyoel Kahssay.


Foreword
Patricia Espinosa
Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
Five years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015,
we find the world facing the worst global health crisis we have
experienced for at least a century. The COVID-19 pandemic has,
in less than a year, infected more than sixty million people, caused
the loss of jobs, income and livelihoods at an unprecedented scale
across the world, and set back almost all human development
indicators by decades.
Yet, this is but a small sample of the damage and human suffering
that a full-scale climate emergency will inflict unless we take urgent
action to rapidly reduce emissions, increase resilience, and ensure
a fair and equitable transition to a climate smart society. Climate
change is not pausing because of COVID-19.
The global pandemic and the climate change crisis have exposed
humanity’s weakest vulnerabilities and magnified its most urgent
challenges. But they also offer a slim window of global opportunity
to build a better future. Recovery from COVID-19 offers nations a
chance to reorient policies and plans that will help build resilience,
as well as building cities and communities that are clean, green,
healthy and sustainable. In turn, this reorientation of plans and
policies can also help address climate change at the speed and
scale needed, along with other major challenges reflected in the
2030 Agenda.
Climate action by non-Party stakeholders is more important than
ever for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. The
Agreement is a covenant among nations and their governments,
but its implementation requires full support by all parts of society.
Foreword
iii
Under the leadership of the High-Level Climate Champions, Mr.
Gonzalo Muñoz from Chile, and Mr. Nigel Topping from the UK, a
groundswell of initiatives and actions, catalyzed by the Marrakech
Partnership for Global Climate Action and other initiatives,
and amplified by the Race to Zero campaign, has created the
knowledge and impetus for ambitious and forward-looking
Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs.
This 2020 edition of the Yearbook of Global Climate Action not only
reflects the contribution of non-Party stakeholders over the past
five years, but also summarizes thematic Climate Action Pathways,
laying out concrete and specific roadmaps for how to reach net-
zero emissions by mid-century. The Yearbook also outlines where
the work of the Champions, the Marrakech Partnership for Global
Climate Action, and the wider community of non-Party stakeholder
should go from here.
I thank the High-Level Champions and all partners for contributing
to this Yearbook, which offers both hope and optimism. It shows
how we can work together, Parties and non-Party stakeholders
alike, to create the future we both want and need.
iv Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Foreword
Nigel Topping, left, and Gonzalo Muñoz, right.
Making 2021 the Most Impactful Year
for Climate Action
Five years ago in Paris, governments of the world did something
extraordinary when they agreed on the need to limit the global
temperature rise. As the world prepares to celebrate the
anniversary of this historic climate agreement, we are reminded
once again of the urgent need for all actors to scale-up the
ambition of the pledges made in 2015 in order to keep the dream
of Paris alive.
The enhanced role taken by entities which usually sat outside the
intergovernmental process – such as subnational governments,
the private sector and civil society at large – helped make Paris
possible and became a core part of its success.
Much has changed since then. During the intervening years, the
world has witnessed fundamental step changes in how local
communities, cities, CEOs and countries view and respond to
the climate challenge.
Perhaps the most visible shift in how actors are meeting this
challenge is that the concept of net zero has taken shape as the
guiding star that we are all pursuing. The race to zero has well
and truly begun.
Alongside countries such as China, Japan and the Republic of
Korea signaling net zero, thousands of actors have now joined
our Race to Zero campaign.
Even amid the global pandemic, net-zero commitments have
doubled in the last 12 months. Companies are now committed
to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris
Agreement. This is the ambition loop in motion: a positive
feedback loop in which bold government action and private sector
leadership reinforce each other, and together take climate action
to the next level.
Gonzalo Muñoz
High-Level Champion (Chile)
Nigel Topping
High-Level Champion (United
Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland)
But the question is: how can we transform systemically to reach
our shared destination at the pace required? The answer lies
in adopting a breakthrough approach that embraces radical
collaboration and champions exponential change. The focus must
be on systems change – environmental, economic and social – to
collectively strive to create a zero carbon and resilient world.
This is why the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
revamped the Climate Action Pathways last month. Each Pathway
sets out the near- and long-term milestones for limiting the
global temperature rise to 1.5°C in the areas of energy, cities
and other human settlements, industry, land use, oceans and
coastal zones, transport, water and resilience. Collectively, they
provide a blueprint to coordinate climate ambition among cities,
regions, businesses and investors to reach net-zero emissions by
mid-century, and limit warming to 1.5°C.
As we look ahead from this anniversary towards COP 26 in
Glasgow, it is clear we have a unique opportunity to make 2021
the most impactful year for climate action.
This year’s slimmer edition of the Yearbook reflects our work
together with Marrakech Partnership stakeholders in 2020 to
create Climate Action Pathways, offering a valuable assessment
of where we stand with respect to non-Party action, and points
to areas where success might be gained.
The climate crisis upon us now requires that both Parties and non-
Party stakeholders step up their climate action. We are all part of
the solution. We must unite behind the science, working together
in the spirit and practice of a new global multilateralism, with an
intergovernmental process led by Parties involving all non-Party
stakeholders in the quest for solutions to climate change.
We can only win this race to zero together.
 Acknowledgements
v

Acknowledgements

Photo: David Clode.

The High-Level Champions would like

to thank all contributions from many
organizations and individuals that made
this edition of the Yearbook of Global
Climate Action possible.

Special thanks go to the Marrakech Partnership stakeholders who

provided insights of the sectoral impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another special thanks to those who provided help with the data
analysis in Chapter 1: Blavatnik School of Government (BSG) at the
University of Oxford; Camda; CDP; Data-Driven EnviroLab; German
Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik
(DIE); Global Centre for Adaptation; Mission 2020; and NewClimate
Institute. The High-Level Champions would also like to thank their
entire team and the UNFCCC secretariat for their support.
vi Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Photo: Annie Spratt.


Executive Summary
In December 2020 we celebrate the fifth anniversary of a historic
moment. The Paris Agreement, reached in December 2015,
was unique in that 196 Parties committed to transforming their
development trajectories towards a sustainable and resilient world,
and limiting warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees C above pre-industrial
levels. Five years later, a total of 188 Parties have presented their
first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), embodying
the efforts each of these countries are making towards reducing
national emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
However, though 103 of these Parties have stated their intention
to enhance ambition by 2020, only 16 countries – representing
nearly five per cent of global emissions – have submitted a revised
2020 NDC so far.
The year of 2020 is also an atypical year, in which a worldwide
pandemic of massive proportions caused a range of disruptions
to people's lives and the world economy, upending all plans
and processes. Like many other multi-stakeholder meetings,
the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP
26) to the UNFCCC, which inaugurates a new phase of the Paris
Agreement, had to be postponed to 2021.
Climate action has not paused, however. Likewise, the work under
the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action – launched
four years ago to strengthen collaboration between governments
and non-Party stakeholders and scale up the global response
to climate change – has not stopped. In 2020, the High-Level
Champions, Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz (Chile) and Mr. Nigel Topping
(UK), with the support of the UNFCCC secretariat, have focused
on enhancing the Climate Action Pathways and mobilizing actors
outside national governments to join the Climate Ambition Alliance
through the Race to Zero campaign, launched in June. Both the
Pathways and the campaign are aimed at encouraging actors to
ramp up ambition and effective action on the ground in order to
reach a net-zero resilient world by 2050.
This Yearbook – the fourth produced by the High-Level Champions
– presents the current range and state of global climate action by
non-Party stakeholders (cities, regions, businesses, investors, and
civil society), examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
and opportunities for a green resilient recovery. It also explores
the key elements of the Pathways, and delivers key messages and
reflections from the Champions on the future of the Marrakech
Partnership for Global Climate Action.
Executive Summary
vii
State of Global Climate Action 2020
The Global Climate Action Portal, launched in 2014, provides
an online platform where governmental and non-governmental
actors from around the globe can display their commitments to
act on climate change. As of November 2020, the Portal registered
27,174 climate actions from 18,279 actors all around the world,
representing a significant increase in actions and actors being
recognized compared to COP 21 in 2015.
There was also a significant increase in subnational and corporate
net-zero targets in the past year, nearly doubling from late 2019 to
late 2020 with 826 cities and 103 regions (representing about 11
per cent of the global population) and 1,565 companies making
commitments despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic
downturn that it brought about.
A large part of the actors pledging net-zero emissions examined
by the report are already taking part in the Race to Zero campaign,
which at the moment encompasses 23 regions, 524 cities, 1,397
businesses, 569 universities and 74 of the biggest investors aiming
for zero emissions.
Impacts of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in the first months of
2020 rapidly evolved from a global health crisis to a socioeconomic
one of massive proportions. The pandemic, which today impacts
all countries, all peoples, and all parts of the economy, shares
similarities with the climate change crisis that has been looming
over the past decades. Both have been foreseen, their impending
occurrence has been underestimated, and their impacts are
wide-ranging.
The socioeconomic fallout of COVID-19 is projected to last for
months or years to come, affecting societies in a number of ways
from here on out. Seeing that the planet’s unfolding environmental
crisis also poses a deep emergency, the recovery process needs to
be turned into an opportunity to tackle both challenges in tandem,
and build a better future.
A range of actors are calling for a green resilient recovery, and
various analyses show how recovery plans focusing on low-carbon
sustainable measures can also create better socioeconomic
outcomes and a healthier environment for all. A number of tools
viii Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Photo: Muhammadtaha Ibrahim Ma Aji.
and inputs are being made available to help governments and
other stakeholders in shaping sustainable recovery plans. Non-
Party stakeholders have also been instrumental in responding to
the crisis, and in providing studies, tools and resources to help
decision-makers shape a recovery that addresses challenges
beyond those that are in their field of vision at the moment.
Three vital recommendations enshrined in the Paris Agreement
and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can help
provide guidance on how to address the compounding crises
and reach the goals both frameworks seek to achieve: (i) enhance
cooperation; (ii) seek balance; and (iii) build resilience. This will
ultimately be the key for our transition into a more equitable,
resilient and sustainable world.
Looking Forward
First launched in 2019, the Climate Action Pathways set out
sectoral visions for achieving a 1.5oC resilient world in 2050.
The 2020 Pathways incorporate insights about the exponential
nature of the necessary systemic and technological change within
sectors, but also focus on the synergies and interlinkages across
the thematic and cross-cutting areas in order to assist all actors
to take an integrated approach.
The key aim of the 2020 Pathways is to be ambitious, resilient,
adaptable, science-based, experimental and equitable. The
Champions hope that climate trailblazers will be inspired by
these Pathways to take bold steps towards achieving the various
milestones.
In 2020, the High-Level Champions also started work in response
to a request by COP 25 to improve work under the Marrakech
Partnership to enhance ambition. In order to do so, the Champions
are working with a diverse range of actors to clarify and align
around a shared vision to achieve net zero, fostering collaboration
to trigger the rapid systemic change needed to achieve the Paris
Agreement goals, and amplifying the progress and evidence of
this exponential transformation already underway.
With this work, the Champions’ aim is to transform the Marrakech
Partnership into an even stronger engine of collaboration and
alignment, setting up for significant breakthroughs in 2021. The
vision of an improved, evolved and updated Marrakech Partnership
is to enable step change on the road to COP 26 carrying us to
rapid and decisive implementation. Seeing that the decade ahead
will be crucial in setting up the necessary pace and ambition to
achieve a net-zero climate resilient world, the Champions see their
role and that of the Marrakech Partnership as a core and go-to
space in which leadership can converge, collaborate and execute
together. The High-Level Champions look forward to continuing
to work closely with Parties and non-Party stakeholders to refine
this vision and develop a concrete plan in the early part of 2021.
 ix

Table of Contents

Foreword ii
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC

Foreword iii
Gonzalo Muñoz, High-Level Champion (Chile)
Nigel Topping, High-Level Champion (UK)

Acknowledgements iv

Executive Summary v

Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis 1

Introduction 1
Tracking Progress 1
State of Global Climate Action 2020 2
Net-Zero Pledges and the Race to Zero Campaign 10

Chapter 2 Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis 13

Chapter 3 Looking Forwards 23

The Climate Action Pathways 23
Reflections on the Future of the Marrakech Partnership 26

References 31
x Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
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Photo: Sheng Li.


Chapter 1
Pre-2020 Analysis
Introduction
The Paris Agreement, reached in December 2015 during COP 21,
defined as its central goal to strengthen the global response to
the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise
well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to
pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5
degrees Celsius, as well as to strengthen the ability of countries to
deal with the impacts of climate change and make financial flows
consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions
and climate-resilient development.
Acknowledging the urgency of the matter, Parties agreed to reach
global peaking of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as soon as
possible, undertaking rapid reductions thereafter in accordance
with best available science. The Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) are the means by which Parties agreed
to present their planned efforts to reduce national emissions,
including voluntary emission reduction pledges, and adapt to the
impacts of climate change.
Five years later, a total of 188 Parties – accounting for 92.7 per cent
of global emissions – have submitted their first NDC. Of these, 103
Parties (representing 129 countries and 44.8 per cent of global
emissions) have stated their intention to enhance ambition by
2020, and 16 countries (representing 4.6 per cent of global
emissions) have already done so, by submitting a 2020 NDC. A
total of 20 Parties, representing 40 countries and 26.5 per cent of
global emissions have submitted long-term strategy documents1.
However, the Emissions Gap Report 2019 warned that current
NDC pledges are not enough to achieve the Paris Agreement
temperature goal in time. For 'well below 2oC', countries need to
increase ambitions threefold – and more than fivefold if we are to
achieve the 1.5oC limit2.
During the Paris Conference, Parties also agreed that it would
be necessary to mobilize stronger and more ambitious climate
action, and acknowledged the engagement of a host of non-Party
actors – such as cities, regions, businesses, investors, and civil
society – in scaling up the global response to climate change. In
order to ensure a durable connection between the Convention
and the many voluntary and collaborative actions that were
already taking place, Parties decided to appoint two High-Level
Champions, with a new Champion being appointed each year,
so that they represent both the current and the incoming COP
Presidencies.
Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis
1
Building on the Lima-Paris Action Agenda, established during
COP 20, the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
was launched by the High-Level Champions in 2016, during
COP 22. The Partnership aims at strengthening collaboration
between governments and key stakeholders to lower emissions
and increase resilience against climate impacts, and particularly
to help increase the pace and ambition of climate action in the
pre-2020 period and beyond. In order to provide a consistent and
structured approach to facilitating climate action, the Marrakech
Partnership implemented a work programme aligned under seven
themes – Land Use, Oceans and Coastal Zones, Water, Human
Settlements, Transport, Energy and Industry, with Resilience
and Finance as additional cross-cutting areas – so that specific
priorities could be addressed by the community of actors within
each of them.
The Yearbook of Global Climate Action is one of the tools
developed by the High-Level Champions with the support of the
UNFCCC secretariat to track progress, impacts and results, and
to identify best practices and lessons learned. Its main objective
is to reflect the range and state of global climate action from non-
Party stakeholders and to bring key messages to the international
community to encourage a higher level of ambition by Parties and
non-Party stakeholders alike.
Tracking Progress
The first Yearbook, launched in 2017, showed that climate
action had been indeed increasing since the lead-up to the
Paris Climate Change Conference, and that, by 2016, cities and
2 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
regions representing over a billion people had already committed
to reducing greenhouse gases and strengthening resilience, as
had businesses with revenues of USD 36.6 trillion.
The 2018 edition of the Yearbook stressed the urgency for
immediate climate action raised by the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of
1.5°C, which outlined the stakes for ecosystems and humans
of allowing global temperatures to increase by even half a
degree Celsius more. The report warned that, to limit the global
temperature increase to 1.5°C, with no or limited overshoot,
global CO2 emissions would need to fall by about 45 per cent
from 2010 levels by 2030, and reach net zero around 20503.
The 2018 Yearbook took notice of the increased number of
pledges launched during the UN Global Climate Action Summit in
September 2018 and throughout the year, in the wake of renewed
interest by non-Party stakeholders and society in general. It also
noted that the potential emissions savings from a selection of
cooperative initiatives were much higher than the aggregate
of the individual commitments. If countries were to implement
their NDCs fully and the cooperative initiatives were to meet
their commitments without displacing action elsewhere, global
emissions in 2030 would be in a range consistent with the long-
term trajectory to meet the Paris Agreement goal of well below 2°C.
The 2019 edition of the Yearbook noted that, while global ambition
was still not strong enough and the pace of action was too slow to
achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement, a growing number
of international cooperative initiatives (ICIs) had delivered action
that, taken together, increased the likelihood of achieving desired
environmental and social impacts. Their performance increased
significantly – between 2013 and 2019, ICIs (often with Parties
and non-Party actors working together) that achieved high to
medium-high output performance increased from just over 30
per cent to nearly 70 per cent.
The 2019 Yearbook also showed global mobilization in the regional
Climate Weeks carried out throughout the year, pointing to the
specific needs of each region, and growing participation of
youth movements demanding more ambitious climate action,
such as the Youth Climate Summit, hosted by the United Nations
(UN) Secretary-General in September, ahead of the UN Climate
Action Summit, and which served as a platform for more than
500 young activists, entrepreneurs and change agents to engage
with international decision-makers.
The year of 2020, which marks the fifth Anniversary of the Paris
Agreement, was dubbed the year of ambition and implementation.
However, due to the health and safety measures put in place
worldwide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the main
negotiation processes such as COP 26 and the subsidiary body
i. Global Climate Action portal data partners: CDP, Carbonn Climate Registry, The Climate Group, Global Investor Coalition on Climate Change, UN Global Compact, Global Covenant
of Mayors, Climate Bonds Initiative and the UN Environment's Climate Initiatives Platform.
sessions had to be postponed to 2021. This does not mean a
pause in climate action – much to the contrary. The bulk of the
operational rules of the Paris Agreement is in place and ready
for implementation, and Parties are expected to submit highly
ambitious NDCs coherent with the urgency necessary to reach
the Agreement goals. Capitalizing on the experience from the
June Momentum for Climate Change, a series of virtual events was
planned for November/December 2020 (UNFCCC Climate Change
Dialogues), aimed at advancing work and providing a platform
for Parties and other stakeholders to showcase progress made
in 2020.
Likewise, the 2020 High-Level Champions, Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz
(Chile) and Mr. Nigel Topping (UK), are focused on enhancing the
Climate Action Pathways and mobilizing actors outside national
governments to join the Climate Ambition Alliance through the
Race to Zero campaign, launched in June. The Pathways, whose
revamped version was launched in November 2020, outline the
longer-term sectoral visions for a 1.5oC climate-resilient world, and
set out the necessary actions to achieve it. In order to showcase
the revised Pathways, reflect on progress made on mitigation and
adaptation across the Marrakech Partnership community, and
inform the UNFCCC Climate Change Dialogues, the Champions
hosted a series of dialogues between 9-19 November (Race to Zero
Dialogues). As Parties are encouraged to drive their ambition in
achieving the Paris Agreement goals to help the world build back
better, so are non-Party stakeholders.
In consonance with the High-Level Champions' objective, this
Yearbook reflects the state and scope of global climate action
in 2020, outlining the progress in the number of initiatives
across the seven thematic areas of the Marrakech Partnership
and the range of actors involved, as well as the growing number
of net-zero pledges made in the past few months. In the next
chapters, it examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
and opportunities for a green resilient recovery, explores the
key elements of the Pathways, and delivers key messages and
reflections from the High-Level Champions on the future of the
Marrakech Partnership.
State of Global Climate Action 2020
The Global Climate Action Portal was launched in 2014 as the
NAZCA portal, aimed at providing an online platform where actors
from around the globe could display their commitments to act
on climate change. Today, the Portal compiles actions, initiatives
and associated data from a range of partner organizationsi, aimed
at presenting a clear and comprehensive view of global climate
action from governmental and non-governmental actors, and
covering all thematic areas of the Marrakech Partnership.
 Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis
3

Figure 1
Actors per United Nations Region in the Global Climate Action Portal

1,169

13,822

1,702

1,103 483

Latin America and Western Europe

Caribbean and Othersii
Countries 33 Countries 29 The actions registered in the Portal consist of individual
Regions 76 Regions 124 commitments, referred to as individual actions, and participation
Cities 487 Cities 8,588 in cooperative initiatives, referred to as cooperative actions. These
Companies 378 Companies 2,565 cooperative initiatives are multi-actor and in many cases multi-
Investors 32 Investors 856 sectoral, and though their main focus is climate change, these
Organizations 97 Organizations 1,660 partnerships may address multiple goals under the 2030 Agenda
Actors in total 1,103 Actors in total 13,822 for Sustainable Development.

Africa Eastern Europe As of November 2020, the Portal registered 27,174 climate actions
from 18,279 actors all around the world, ranging from cities
Countries 54 Countries 23
(10,691) and regions (243) to companies (4,052) and investors
Regions 18 Regions 2
(1,136) and other organizations (1,966). It represents a significant
Cities 219 Cities 1,047
increase in actions and actors being recognized compared to COP
Companies 70 Companies 43
21 in 2015, where 10,825 climate actions and 5,098 actors were
Investors 30 Investors 42
registered. This is a result of both the Portal’s evolution to capture
Organizations 92 Organizations 12
a greater diversity of climate action and stakeholders, and the
Actors in total 483 Actors in total 1,169
groundswell of global climate action.

Asia-Pacific
There are also currently 149 cooperative initiatives involving a total
Countries 52 of 20,098 participants. The total number of registered initiatives
Regions 23 includes 43 that were announced at the 2019 UN Climate Action
Cities 350 Summit, and are recognized in the Portal on a dedicated page.
Companies 996
Investors 176 Figure 1 above shows the distribution of actors registered in the
Organizations 105 Global Climate Action Portal that are engaged in individual and
Actors in total 1,702 cooperative climate actions per UN world region.

ii. 'Others' include Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Turkey, the United States and Canada.
4 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Photo: Stuart Croft.
Although a strong focus is given to emission reduction targets,
in order to close the emissions gap necessary to keep warming
below the 1.5oC limit, a diversity of actions contemplating both
mitigation and adaptation goals is crucial to meet the Paris
Agreement, seeing that climate change affects society in a number
of direct and indirect ways, most of which are interlinked. A
significant number of actions have tangible, scalable and replicable
outcomes, albeit they may not be necessarily quantifiable. Building
resilience is of particular importance, as all thematic areas of the
Marrakech Partnership are vulnerable to the various impacts of
a changing climate. On that note, an upcoming report on State
and Trends on Adaptation will feature a chapter on cooperative
initiatives and highlight patterns of implementation and progress
of initiatives that address adaptation and mitigation. The report,
developed by the Global Center on Adaptation, will be published
mid-January 2021.
The columns on the following pages illustrate the different types
of challenges faced across the Marrakech Partnership thematic
areas, and the types of initiatives that are aimed at tackling them.
Land Use
Land use (encompassing agriculture, forestry and
other land uses) accounts for approximately 23 per
cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. On the other
hand, land absorbs approximately 29 per cent of all
anthropogenic CO2 emissions4, and natural climate
solutions (conservation, restoration, and improved land
management actions) can provide over one-third of the
cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now
and 2030 to stabilize warming below 2oC5.
The sector is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change: climate-induced changes in temperature
and rainfall patterns could significantly undermine yields
of staple crops and impact global food security, in addition
to the economic impacts to countries' global domestic
product (GDP) and a considerable portion of the world’s
population that directly rely on forests to provide some or
all of their livelihoods. A changing climate can also affect
a range of ecosystem functions and services provided by
land that are essential for humanity.
Although tropical forests can provide up to 30 per cent of
the climate change mitigation needed to meet the Paris
Agreement goals, finance for forests in deforestation
countries accounts for just over one per cent of global
mitigation-related development funding6.
There are currently 24 individual and 437 cooperative
actions registered in the Portal addressing this thematic
area, as well as 19 cooperative initiatives. A total
of 345 actors (115 countries, 6 cities, 11 regions, 171
companies, 10 investors and 32 organizations) participate
in initiatives with goals ranging from reducing emissions
from agriculture, forestry and land use, and restoring
deforested and degraded areas to increasing climate
resilience and food security and mobilizing financial means
to increase the capacity of early warning systems.

Oceans and
Coastal Zones
Oceans and coastal zones provide ecosystem services as
well as social and economic services globally, including
fisheries, transport, tourism and habitat. Moreover, the
ocean plays a central role in regulating the climate – it
has absorbed around 28 per cent of CO2 emissions from
human activities since the 1980s and over 90 per cent of
excess heat in the climate system since the 1970s7.
While the ocean mitigates climate change, increased ocean
temperatures since the beginning of the 20th century have
led to impacts such as acidification, deoxygenation, coral
bleaching and changes in the geographic distribution of
fish. Coral reefs are at a critical stage due to repeated coral
bleaching – the goods and services provided by almost
one fifth of the global reef area have already been lost,
and if local and global threats are left unchecked, many
tropical coral reefs could rapidly die by 2050 due to ocean
acidification and warming8.
Coastal systems and low-lying areas are projected
to increasingly experience adverse impacts such as
submergence, coastal flooding and coastal erosion due
to sea level rise, as well as the increasing frequency
and intensity of extreme meteorological events9. This is
particularly concerning, considering that about 40 per
cent of the global population is settled on the coastal
zones (100km from the coast) and rely on its resources
for income generating and living10.
There are currently 54 cooperative actions registered
in the Portal addressing this thematic area, as well as
5 cooperative initiatives. A total of 46 actors (33
countries, 4 investors and 9 organizations) participate in
initiatives with goals ranging from reducing coastal erosion
hotspots and protecting population in priority flooding
areas to reducing overfishing and driving investment into
coastal natural capital.
Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis
5
Water
The water thematic area is inclusive of all freshwater
ecosystems – as water is essential to life on Earth, the
scope is inherently cross-cutting, covering activities in
sectors such as forest and land management, agriculture,
industry, transportation, energy and urban systems.
Emissions in the sector are largely linked to energy use,
such as for water sourcing, treatment and distribution.
Wastewater treatment processes can also produce large
amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, which further
increase the carbon footprint of the water sector11.
Water is also the primary medium through which the
effects of climate change are felt – from changes in snow
and ice dynamics to increased incidences of flooding
and droughts, the impacts are projected to intensify in
the coming years. Ninety per cent of natural disasters
are directly water-related12, and by 2050, the number of
people at risk of floods will increase from 1.2 billion to
1.6 billion, while the number of people living in potential
severely water-scarce areas is projected to increase from
1.9 billion in the early to mid-2010s to 3.2 billion in 205013.
There is potential to reduce carbon emissions in the water
sector significantly, particularly when it comes to urban
water and wastewater treatments, which are critical for
the safe provision of fresh water and sanitation to all.
Investment in improved hydrological data, early warning
systems, hydro-meteorological networks, institutional
capacity, education and knowledge-sharing can also help
reduce the risk of impacts to communities.
There are currently 2 individual and 180 cooperative
actions registered in the Portal addressing this thematic
area, as well as 7 cooperative initiatives. A total of 171
actors (58 countries, 18 cities, 65 companies, 3 investors
and 27 organizations) participate in initiatives with goals
ranging from reducing city-wide emissions from the water
sector to measuring and minimizing risks and impacts
related to water and climate change.
6 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Human
Settlements
Cities and urban populations are significant drivers of
climate change – they are currently responsible for about
75 per cent of global CO2 emissions14. In addition to energy
use and buildings, urban transport systems remain a
significant source of greenhouse gas emissions15, all of
which are projected to increase as more people move
into urban centres and push infrastructure construction,
especially in fast-growing cities in developing countries.
Today, more than 50 per cent of the world’s population live
in cities, and projections estimate that by 2050 two-thirds
of the global population will live in urban areas16.
Additionally, urban consumption, especially in the food,
clothing, vehicles, aviation and electronics sectors, is
responsible for high and growing levels of consumption-
based emissions. Consumption represents as much as 10
per cent of global emissions in just 94 of the world’s largest
cities and could nearly double by 2050 if left unchecked17.
Cities are also on the front line of climate change impacts.
Heatwaves and flooding, and associated risks such
as adverse impacts on health, biodiversity and water
security, are already affecting cities around the globe.
Population growth, rampant urbanization and growing
social inequalities further exacerbate the vulnerability of
city dwellers.
As hubs of economic activity and intellectual capital, cities
are naturally positioned to use available technologies and
lead the transition to low-carbon and resilient forms of
human settlement. However, city-level climate action
should not be confined to mega cities, as smaller and
medium-sized urban areas with fewer than one million
inhabitants can account for half of all urban emission
reduction potential by 203018.
There are currently 858 individual and 10,800
cooperative actions registered in the Portal addressing
this thematic area, as well as 24 cooperative initiatives.
A total of 10,728 actors (147 countries, 10,357 cities, 74
regions, 42 companies, 17 investors and 91 organizations)
participate in initiatives with goals ranging from reducing
region-wide final energy consumption and increasing
efficiency to creating climate smart urban projects and
enhancing resilience to climate shocks and extreme events
and putting climate risk at the centre of decision making.
Transport
Transport infrastructure contributes to economic growth
at all levels of GDP and supports personal well-being,
and social and economic development. It is also crucial
to connect countries and help increase trade, economic
growth and regional integration.
However, the transport sector account for around 14
per cent of global GHG emissions19, and it is still 93 per
cent dependent on oil20. Even with the implementation
of current policy ambitions, the growth in transport
demand is projected to lead to an increase of 60 per cent
in transport CO2 emissions, a growth driven mainly by an
increased demand for freight and non-urban passenger
transport, both of which are projected to grow by 225
per cent by 205021.
Currently there are a number of opportunities for
mitigating urban transport emissions. However, freight,
non-urban and maritime transport and aviation remain
challenging as demand for these services continues to
grow while limited opportunities for decarbonization exist.
Adaptation measures are also necessary. Transport
infrastructure is vulnerable to the effects of climate
change such as the risks posed by flooding and extreme
temperatures to roads, railroads, ports and harbours.
There are currently 76 individual and 464 cooperative
actions registered in the Portal addressing this thematic
area, as well as 19 cooperative initiatives. A total
of 508 actors (73 countries, 78 cities, 20 regions, 294
companies, 8 investors and 35 organizations) participate
in initiatives with goals ranging from reducing city- or
region-wide emissions from transport and from airport
operations to accelerating the energy transition of vehicle
fleet, doubling the share of public transport and doubling
vehicle fuel efficiency globally.

Energy
Energy production and use is the main contributor to GHG
emissions and is a critical ingredient in most economic
endeavours. At present, the energy sector accounts
for nearly three quarters of global emissions22, but the
International Energy Agency (IEA) data shows that global
energy-related CO2 emissions flattened in 2019, following
two years of increases. This is mostly due to the expanding
role of renewable sources, fuel switching from coal to
natural gas, and higher nuclear power output, but weaker
global economic growth also played a role23.
While these trends are promising, the transformation of
the energy sector still lags behind what is necessary to
achieve the Paris Agreement and sustainable development
objectives. To meet the Paris goals, electricity needs to be
decarbonized by 2050 and energy by the third quarter of
the century. Energy efficiency needs to improve at much
faster rates than has generally taken place historically.
Energy infrastructure is also vulnerable to the impacts
of climate change – for example, hot weather and water
shortages have affected cooling water for nuclear plants24,
and storms have damaged power cables. Hydropower
plants are also directly affected by changes in temperature
and precipitation patterns, as well as extreme weather
events, all of which are likely to increase.
Technology is key – the confluence of smart-energy
networks, digital solutions that better allow for controlling
energy demand and trade, electrification, and ample, low-
cost renewable power has the potential to transform the
energy sector.
There are currently 313 individual and 15,206
cooperative actions registered in the Portal addressing
this thematic area, as well as 49 cooperative initiatives.
A total of 13,687 actors (182 countries, 10,510 cities,
75 regions, 1,877 companies, 264 investors and 779
organizations) participate in initiatives with goals ranging
from reducing local government energy consumption, and
increasing the share of renewables in city- and region-wide
electricity consumption to improving energy efficiency of
appliances and equipment and buildings and increasing
global installed capacity for geothermal power generation.
Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis
7
Industry
The industry thematic area considers industrial activities
over the entire value chain, from extraction, through
manufacturing to the final demand for products and their
respective services, and therefore has an essential role to
play in reducing GHG emissions.
Direct industrial processes are responsible for about five
per cent of GHG emissions, but energy use in industry
alone accounts for another 24 per cent of all global
emissions25. Some of the biggest challenges lie in the
major harder-to-abate sectors, such as cement, steel,
chemicals, plastics and heavy-goods transport. The
transition towards achieving the 1.5oC goal of the Paris
Agreement requires industrial sectors to achieve net-zero
CO2 emissions within themselves by mid-century26.
The financial and physical assets, operations and supply
chains of many businesses and industrial actors are also
highly vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate,
including variable temperatures and rainfall patterns, and
also intensifying natural disasters.
The various industry sectors each have particular
challenges and opportunities in tackling climate
change, which may benefit from sectoral approaches
and customized solutions. Research indicates that it is
technically and economically possible for hard-to-abate
industrial sectors to reach net-zero emissions by mid-
century at a cost to the economy of less than 0.5 per cent
of global GDP, and with a minor impact on consumer living
standards. A more circular economy can cut emissions
from harder-to abate industrial sectors by 40 per cent27.
Many industries also have the potential to bring about
wider behavioural change through their impact on
consumers as well as their own supply chains.
There are currently 1,307 cooperative actions registered
in the Portal addressing this thematic area, as well as 25
cooperative initiatives. A total of 1,109 actors (79
countries, 68 cities, 29 regions, 475 companies, 380
investors and 78 organizations) participate in initiatives
with goals ranging from reducing CO2 emissions from
cement production and promoting a shift in cooling
technology towards natural refrigerants to setting
Science Based Targets aligned with a 1.5oC trajectory
and integrating climate risk into corporate value chains.
8 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Photo: Linus Nylund.

 Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis
9

The pledges registered in the Global Climate Action Portal are not Figure 2
only diverse in the types of goals established, but also in terms of
Individual and cooperative actions per
when they are to be achieved. Most individual targets, however,
have 2030 as their target year (Figure 2).
target year

At present, the Global Climate Action Portal does not track

2100 1
progress of the commitments made. However, together with
the Camda climate action data and analysis community, work is
2060 5
underway to enhance the credibility of the climate actions and
commitments registered in the Portal. At COP 25 in Madrid, a 127
2050
workshop was held by Camda to establish a framework for tracking
progress of non-Party Stakeholder climate actions, resulting in a 2045 6
statement communicated to the COP 25 Presidency. Associated
with this, decision 1/CP.25 Chile Madrid Time for Action requested 2041 1
'the secretariat to continue engaging with non-Party stakeholders
and enhancing the effectiveness of the Non-State Actor Zone 2040 30
for Climate Action platform, including the tracking of voluntary
action'. 2038 2

The work has been advanced through 2020, during which priority 2037 1
metrics were drafted for tracking the progress of individual
2036 1
climate actions and initiatives. To help provide an assessment of
progress that goes beyond the emissions reductions achieved,
2035 19
the metrics are considered in relation to a conceptual framework28
that considers different types of progress, including ambition,
2032 3
robustness, implementation and substantive progress. Following
stakeholder consultation, the aim is to apply the metrics and 2031 1
framework to the Portal, where they will provide a greater
insight into the progress of climate actions. Further underlining 2030 250
the importance of developing an understanding of whether
non-Party stakeholders are achieving their emissions reduction 2029 1
targets, a report, associated with the work of the Camda group,
is planned for spring 2021, which will aim to provide an aggregate 2028 1
assessment on the progress of individual non-Party actors and
initiatives towards their targets. 2027 1

One of the Global Climate Action Portal data partners, CDP, has 2026 1
seen a substantial growth in disclosure in the past few years.
2025 46
The organization is one of the longest running global disclosure
platforms for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to
2024 2
manage their environmental impacts. In 2016, one year after the
implementation of the Paris Agreement, over 5,800 businesses 2023 12
responded to the climate change questionnaire. In 2020, over
9,500 businesses submitted the questionnaire, representing a 2022 6
64 per cent increase. The disclosure platform for cities, states
and regions will remain open until December 2020 to allow more 2021 80
time for cities to disclose in what has been a difficult year due
to COVID-19. However, in 2016, 633 cities, states, and regions 2020 212
disclosed data to CDP and by 2019, disclosures increased by 51
per cent, with a total of 957 cities, states and regions disclosing.   2019 4

In 2020, 4,921 companies (representing 51.7 per cent of those that

disclosed on climate change) declared that they have an emissions
0 50 100 150 200 250
reduction target. Of those, 673 have committed to set a science-
based target through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi),
10 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
and 391 have already had their SBTi target approved.  Nearly five
years after the Paris Agreement, and the launch of the SBTi, over
1,000 companies spanning 60 countries and nearly 50 sectors,
and with a combined market capitalization of over USD 15.4 trillion
– including one-fifth of the Global Fortune 500 – are working with
the SBTi to reduce their emissions at the pace and scale necessary.   global population and a GHG emissions footprint of more than
Net-Zero Pledges and the Race to Zero
Campaign
As mentioned above, an ambitious level of emission reductions
across all sectors is necessary in order to meet the Paris
Agreement goals. While the Global Climate Action Portal provides
a clear and comprehensive view of the scale of commitments, in
terms of number and how they are distributed, it does not focus
on mitigation outcomes. A couple of reports endorsed by the
High-Level Champions as part of the Race to Zero campaign and
developed by Data-Driven EnviroLab and NewClimate Institute
examined the current scale of net-zero commitmentsiii from
cities, regions, and business actors, and the nuances in net-zero
approaches29.
Figure 3
Cities and regions pledging some form of net-zero emissions target
Note: NA refers to countries where we
did not record actors pledging net-zero
emissions targets
Percentage of
Source: Data-Driven EnviroLab (2020) national population
iii. Net-zero emissions occur when human-driven greenhouse gas emissions and removals equal each other out (Data-Driven EnviroLab & NewClimate Institute, 2020).
Drawing the analysis from nine reporting platforms, the reports
found that there was a significant increase in subnational and
corporate net-zero targets in the past year, nearly doubling from
late 2019 to ate 2020. As of October, subnational governments
(826 cities and 103 regions) representing about 11 per cent of the
6.5 gigatonnes have committed to net-zero targets, as well as
1,565 companies, responsible for a combined revenue of over USD
12.5 trillion, and covering 3.5 gigatonnes in GHG emissions. It is
worth noting that this increase happened despite the COVID-19
pandemic and the economic downturn that it brought about.
Pledges may vary from sector-specific targets (i.e., buildings or
specific emission scopes) to economy – or company-wide targets,
and there are differences on the intended timelines for achieving
them – while a few actors have already achieved their goal, most
have established timelines around 2030, 2040 or 2050 for their
net-zero targets.
Although the regional distribution of subnational net-zero pledges
is diverse (Figure 3 below), the momentum is particularly strong
in Europe (with the participation of 291 cities and 39 regions,
representing 36 per cent of the EU's total population), Latin
<1% 15–35%
1–5% 35–50% City
5–15% >50% NA Region

Photo: Milada Vigerova.
America (209 cities and five regions, covering 81 million people)
and the East Asia and Pacific region (including 164 cities and 31
regions, representing over 223 million people). Participating
regions in Australia alone represent over 95 per cent of the
country’s total population, while in North America, participating
actors (27 regions and 118 cities) correspond to about 60 per cent
of the region’s total population. Though there are few cities in
Sub-Saharan Africa with net-zero targets, those that do are often
large mega-cities like Lagos, whose actions help steer national
economies and emissions trajectories.
The reports note that, so far, 75 per cent of subnational
governments with specified targets (i.e., that have reported a
percentage reduction target of at least 80 per cent and a target
year of 2050 or sooner) have net-zero plans, and 36 per cent have
already incorporated them into binding legislation. The reports
also stress that, for these targets to be meaningful, they need
to cover a large share of their actors’ total GHG emissions and
drive very steep reductions. The large emissions footprints of
the actors examined in the reports suggest that, if their net-zero
targets encompass a substantial portion of their emissions, and if
they are fully implemented, these targets could have a significant
impact on global and national emissions.
As for the business sector, companies across a wide range of
sectors have made net-zero commitments, with the services
industry leading the way (290 companies, representing a
combined revenue of USD 4.2 trillion), followed by manufacturing
(120 companies, encompassing over USD 2.8 trillion in revenue).
Although only seven companies from the energy sector have
set net-zero targets, those that have, have set aggressive target
years – with the earliest median target year at 2025. Even in
sectors traditionally considered hard to abate, such as steel and
cement, some actors are setting ambitious targets. The reports
Chapter 1 Pre-2020 Analysis
11
show that not only are businesses pledging to decarbonize
their own activities, but some are targeting emissions outside
their immediate control as well, such as from their supply chain
or derived from down-stream consumption. The complexities
involved in setting net-zero targets, ranging from tackling indirect
emissions to considering the use of offsets, are more thoroughly
addressed in the report about nuances in target implementation
approaches.
A large part of the actors pledging net-zero emissions examined by
the reports are already taking part in the Race to Zero campaign,
which at the moment encompasses 23 regions, 524 cities, 1,397
businesses, 569 universities and 74 of the biggest investors aiming
for zero emissions. These actors join 120 countries in the largest
ever alliance committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions
by 2050 at the latest – the Climate Ambition Alliance, which was
launched at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 by the President
of Chile, Sebastián Piñera.
The objective of the campaign is to build momentum around the
shift to a decarbonized economy, and send governments a strong
signal that business, cities, regions and investors are united in
meeting the Paris goals and creating a more inclusive and resilient
economy.
The 2020 UN Climate Ambition Summit, which takes place on
12 December to commemorate the anniversary of the Paris
Agreement, will set the stage for a number of countries and
non-Party stakeholders to step up ambition and announce net-
zero commitments. It will also host the launch of campaigns and
initiatives, such as the Race to Resilience campaign, which aims
to catalyze a step-change in global ambition for climate change,
and the Net Zero Asset Manager, which shows how financial
institutions are raising ambition.
12 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Photo: Nathan Dumlao.

 Chapter 2 Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis
13

Chapter 2

Impacts of
the COVID-19 Crisis

As mentioned in the previous Chapter, 2020 is deemed a critical

year for setting the world on the right path to achieve the Paris
Agreement goals in time. In addition to the high level of expectation
for countries to revise their NDCs and close the emissions gap,
the massive scale of bushfires ravaging Australia during the
2019–2020 fire season, fuelled by record-breaking temperatures
and months of severe drought30, were a stark reminder of what
is at stake. Every year, extreme events such as droughts, floods
and hurricanes cost billions of dollars to the economy, in addition
to the lives lost and livelihoods affected – and climate change is
making them deadlier and costlier31. The Economist Intelligent
Unit's Climate Change Resilience Index estimates an average
global GDP loss of three per cent by 2050 due to climate change,
with the developing world being affected the most32.

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual Global Risks Report

has consistently ranked climate-related risks such as “extreme
weather” and “climate action failure” in their top five global
risks both in terms of likelihood and impact since 2011. The 15th
Edition, launched in January 2020, however, was the first ever to
have climate change dominate all of the top-five long-term risks
by likelihood. Incidentally, the report also warned that health
systems worldwide were underprepared for significant outbreaks
of infectious diseases and that, while no country was found to be
fully prepared to handle a potential epidemic or pandemic, 'our
collective vulnerability to the societal and economic impacts of
infectious disease crises appears to be increasing'33.
Although the world was taken by surprise in the first few months of
2020 by the quick spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis
it brought along, experts have been arguing that it should not be
considered a 'black swan' – meaning, a high impact but extremely
rare and therefore unforeseen event – but rather a 'gray rhino'
event. The term, introduced by policy analyst Michele Wucker
at the WEF in Davos in January 2013, refers to a highly probable
but neglected threat with potentially enormous impact. In that,
COVID-19 crisis is very similar to the climate change crisis that
has been looming for decades now, and it additionally threatens
to worsen the challenges that both the Paris Agreement and the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development seek to address. At the core of both
lies the recognition that social, environmental and economic
issues are interlinked, and therefore should be tackled – as well
as solutions be devised – taking all dimensions into consideration.
Similarly, the complex ways in which human societies and nature
are interconnected became quite clear with the COVID-19
pandemic – what seemingly started as a health crisis caused by
a zoonotic disease rapidly evolved into a socioeconomic crisis of
global proportions, exposing the systemic vulnerabilities already
referred to by the WEF report.
The first and foremost challenge to be addressed is the health
crisis – by early December, the World Health Organization had
compiled over 63 million confirmed cases and nearly 1.5 million
deaths reported globally as a result of the disease. Rather than
a panacea, it is more likely that a combination of measures –
vaccines, effective treatments and changes in social interaction
– will curb the health crisis and stabilize infection and death rates34.
However and whenever the end of the pandemics is officially
declared, one thing is clear – 'business as usual' is a scenario that
is unlikely to be returned to. A series of changes and adaptations
that were implemented during the crisis may be incorporated
into day-to-day life, affecting societies in a number of ways from
here on out.
This leads to another pressing challenge. An overview of the
socioeconomic outcomes of COVID-19 crisis shows the alarming
and profound impacts it is projected to have over the next
months and years. The International Monetary Fund's World
Economic Outlook expects a negative GDP per capita growth
in 170 countries, compared to their 2019 averages, implying a
14 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Photo: Ben Garrett.
cumulative loss to the global economy of over USD 12 trillion
over 2020–2021. The International Labour Organization (ILO)
estimated global working-hour losses at 17.3 per cent in the
second quarter of 2020 relative to the fourth quarter of 2019, with
the lower-middle-income countries expected to be the hardest
hit, showing a decline of around 23.3 per cent35. The World Bank
estimates that the pandemic is likely to push between 88 and 115
million people into extreme poverty in 2020, setting back poverty
reduction by around three years36. Meanwhile, the number of
people experiencing food crises is projected to double, with about
270 million people in low- and middle-income countries expected
to face acute food insecurity by the end of 2020.
In April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned
that, though the impact of COVID-19 is both immediate and
dreadful, the planet’s unfolding environmental crisis also poses
a deep emergency37. In order to protect Earth from both the
coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption, the
recovery process needs to be turned into an opportunity to tackle
both challenges in tandem, and build a better future.
As mentioned before, the COVID-19 crisis is not the only 'grey
rhino' out there, and the climate crisis has not been put on pause
while societies figure a way out of the pandemic. Throughout the
year, more large-scale wildfire events spread across the Western
United States, Indonesia and Brazil, driven by hotter, dryer
seasons38. Meanwhile, the hurricane season is inching closer to
a record-breaking year39, and 2020 is poised to be one of the
warmest years to date, despite La Niña – a natural event which
traditionally has a cooling effect on global temperatures40. The
impacts of the crises are compounded by one another.
While the lockdown measures resulted in a drop of about four
per cent in energy demand in the first quarter of 2020 and the
International Energy Agency (IEA) projects a decline of about 8
per cent in CO2 emissions in 2020 in comparison with 2019, these
numbers are to be seen with caution. First, the unprecedented
nature of these declines means emissions are expected to
rebound once these activities are resumed, as it happened after
the economic crisis of 200841. Any such dramatic drop in annual
emissions is hard to sustain without specific measures decoupling
emissions from economic growth. Second, a single annual decline
has little impact on the concentrations of long-lived GHGs in the
atmosphere. These concentrations, the World Meteorological
Organization alerts, are still on the rise42. In July 2020, flagship
observatories in Mauna Loa (Hawaii) and Cape Grim (Tasmania)
registered CO2 concentrations of 414.38 ppm and 410.04 ppm,
respectively, up from 411.74 ppm, and 407.83 ppm in July 201943.
The Emissions Gap Report 2019 estimates that global emissions
need to decrease by about 7.6 per cent/year between 2020
and 2030 to meet the 1.5oC goal. This means decarbonizing the
economy now. By 2025, the cut needed would increase to 15.5 per
cent/year, making it a lot harder to achieve44. The fact that it took
a complete shock to the system to drive the emissions down to
the required level shows the complexity of the task. The need to
salvage and revitalize economies can finally provide the incentive
to decarbonize them, all the while creating better socioeconomic
outcomes and a healthier environment for all.
The UN Secretary-General proposed six climate-related
principles to shape these recovery plans: (1) The money to be
spent on recovery from the coronavirus must deliver new jobs
 Chapter 2 Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis
15

and businesses through a clean, green transition; (2) Where
taxpayers’ money is used to rescue businesses, it needs to be
tied to achieving green jobs and sustainable growth; (3) Fiscal
firepower must drive a shift from the grey to green economy
and make societies and people more resilient; (4) Public funds
should be used to invest in the future, not the past, and flow to
sustainable sectors and projects that help the environment and
the climate. Fossil fuel subsidies must end, and polluters must start
paying for their pollution; (5) Climate risks and opportunities must
be incorporated into the financial system, as well as all aspects of
public policymaking and infrastructure; and (6) All need to work
together as an international community45.
According to the UN report on its comprehensive response to
COVID-19, 'transforming energy systems could boost global
GDP by USD 98 trillion by 2050, delivering 2.4 per cent more GDP
growth than current plans. Boosting investments in renewable
energy alone would add 42 million jobs globally, create health
care savings eight times the cost of the investment, and prevent
a future crisis'46. An analysis carried out by the We Mean Business
Coalition in support of its Build Back Better campaign also showed
that with the same cost to governments, a green recovery plan
provides a similar immediate boost to output and employment in
comparison with a reduced value-added tax (VAT) recovery plan
encouraging households to resume spending, but a consistently
larger impact in terms of stimulus and jobs and potentially longer-
term economic benefits. By prioritizing five measures (namely,
public investments in energy efficiency in buildings and upgrading
electricity grids, subsidies for wind and solar power and electric
vehicles, and a tree planting programme), this plan estimates
CO2 emission reductions by around 7 per cent/year by 2030 (in
addition to a projected reduction of two per cent/year due to
COVID-19 impacts)47.
At the local level, Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance
is completing a paper that focuses on the funding that has
been announced to support a green recovery for cities since
the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, and provides
recommendations for where and how to better channel future
assistance for a more resilient recovery.
Other stakeholders are also looking at the role of finance in
promoting a green recovery. The City of London Corporation
and the Green Finance Institute, supported by WEF, hosted a
major summit in November (Green Horizon Summit) focusing
on the role of financial services in supporting a green recovery
and an economy-wide transition to net zero, and on the concrete
actions and commitments financial firms need to make ahead
of COP 26 in Glasgow. The Finance in Common Summit, also
carried out in November, in Paris, brought together the world’s
Public Development Banks to discuss how to reconcile short-term
countercyclical responses with sustainable recovery measures
that will have a long-term impact on the planet and societies.
Non-Party stakeholders have been instrumental in responding
to the crisis, and in providing studies, tools and resources to
help governments and other decision-makers shape a recovery
that addresses challenges beyond those that are in their field of
vision at the moment. The boxes below provide an overview of the
socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 crisis across the Marrakech
Partnership thematic areas, as well as potential opportunities
and resources developed by actors in those areas to help devise
policies and measures that take these specific impacts and
concerns into consideration in the longer term.

As a response to a call on governments to focus on a faster and

fairer transition towards a sustainable economy, a number of tools
and inputs are being made available to help governments and other
stakeholders in shaping sustainable recovery plans. In September,
the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, in cooperation with
UNFCCC, launched an online platform for sustainable and resilient
recovery from COVID-19 (Platform for Redesign 2020), to which
non-State actors were invited to contribute. The platform collates
climate and environmental policies and actions that countries
are planning or already implementing in the context of recovery
from COVID-19. Similarly, Carbon Brief established an interactive
grid to track measures proposed, agreed and implemented by
major economies around the world, including stimulus measures
that have a direct bearing on climate change or energy. These
measures range from planting trees and investing in better fire
management in Chile and the installation of five million home solar
systems in Nigeria to a 'green homes grant' voucher scheme to
fund home efficiency improvements in the United Kingdom and
expanding low-carbon and distributed energy systems in South
Korea.
16 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Impacts across the Marrakech Partnership

Thematic Areas

As mentioned before, the COVID-19 crisis has had impacts across all
levels of society. Similarly, all thematic areas defined under the Marrakech
Partnership were affected in their own particular way, often in an
interconnected, compounded and/or cascading manner.

Impacts on the energy, transport and industry sectors were the most
obvious, as lockdowns caused immediate changes in all three. In April,
the IEA estimated that energy demand had fallen by about 25 per cent/
week on average in economies experiencing full lockdown, while countries
with partial lockdown had an average decline of 18 per cent/week. Global
energy demand declined by a total 3.8 per cent in the first quarter of the
year. Electricity demand was also affected: there was a decline of 20 per
cent or more during full lockdown in a number of countries, mainly due
to a halt in industrial and commercial operations. This in turn resulted in
a lift in the share of renewables in the electricity supply, as their output is
largely unaffected by demand. In fact, not only were renewables the sole
source to see a growth in demand, but the expectation is that this trend will
continue, due to low operating costs, preferential access and recent growth
in installed capacity. Demand for all other fuels is projected to decline48.

As for transport, changes in mobility and lockdown measures caused a

decline of about 50 per cent in global average road transport activity in
March 2020 in comparison with 2019. The sharp decrease in air travel also
resulted in a decline of 60 per cent in global aviation activity by the end
of the first quarter, with some European countries experiencing a decline
of more than 90 per cent49. While air cargo has also declined, freight-only
flights have grown, with some passenger aircraft converted to cover for the
share of cargo that it would usually carry along with passenger luggage50.
The International Transport Forum (ITF) estimates that mobility restrictions
could reduce global freight transport by up to 36 per cent by the end of
202051. In shipping, ITF reported a decline in global container trade volumes
of 8.6 per cent in February 2020 compared to the same month of 201952.
Lockdowns affected most industries, with some having to shut down
almost completely, and most having to reduce activities. Small and medium
-size enterprises (SMEs) were particularly affected, as they are typically
more vulnerable to economic and social shocks. Impacts on businesses
vary from a reduction or loss in demand and revenues, employee health
concerns, liquidity shortages and disruptions in the supply chain53.
As hubs of economic and social activities, human settlements were
directly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Many cities around the world
have locked down, with impact on local commerce, public transportation,
recreational venues and healthcare systems. Residents of poor crowded
areas, informal settlements and remote villages were particularly vulnerable
in their exposition to the virus and/or lack of access to essential services.
The socioeconomic impacts of the health crisis on urban centres, affecting
urban access, equity, finances, public services, infrastructure and transport,
also affected those who are more socially vulnerable disproportionally.
Photo: Matthew Sichkaruk.
The economic impacts of lockdowns resulted in a decline in tax revenues
to many local governments, which may lose up to 25 per cent in revenues
in 2021. Areas that rely primarily on less diversified economic bases
may see an even sharper decline, such as those based on tourism, for
example. These financial shrinkages may in turn have a negative impact
on infrastructure investments and public services, undermining broader
sustainable urban development efforts54.
In the land use sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned
that the pandemic may lead to an increase in deforestation and forest
degradation, since the crisis may cause people in rural areas to look for
forests and forest products for subsistence, and quick financial returns and
employment may be prioritized by stimulus programmes over longer-term
climate and sustainability objectives. The forest sector may suffer from
disruptions affecting entire value chains, but micro, small and medium
enterprises – which account for over 50 per cent of total forest-related
employment – and forest and farm producer organizations risk being hit the
hardest, due to their lower capacity to delay spending without earnings55.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) additionally notes that, as a
consequence of COVID-19, many park guides and rangers lost their jobs,

leaving forests open to poaching and illegal logging. ILO also warned that
the pandemic has 'exacerbated the vulnerability of indigenous and tribal
peoples and other forest-dependent communities, who were already facing
the consequences of climate change, deforestation, forest fires and illegal
logging'. These communities tend to suffer from poorer health than the rest
of the population, and often have limited access to health care56.
As for the agricultural sector, COVID-19 affected all actors in the entire
chain of the food system, from producers and workers to consumers. The
first two are impacted by reduced production capacity, limited market
access, loss of remittances and lack of employment. Consumers may
experience shortages and lack of access, food price inflation and food
insecurity – which already affected more than 820 million people before the
COVID-19 crisis57. Rural communities, especially in the developing world,
are largely dependent on agriculture for livelihood and food security. Urban
communities including residents in informal settlements also rely heavily
on fresh markets and rural-urban supply chains, and were particularly
affected by disruptions in it, as well as the associated increase in food
prices combined with income loss58.
The COVID-19 crisis heightened the awareness of the need to ensure
availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for the
world's population. Access to reliable water supplies for frequent adequate
handwashing is the first line of defense against the spread of the virus59.
However, according to the UN, in 2017 three out of five people in the world
had a basic handwashing facility with soap and water, compared with less
than one out of three in least developed countries. Globally, about three
billion people are still unable to properly wash their hands at home. One
out of four health-care facilities in the world also lacked basic drinking water
services, affecting over two billion people. Additionally, high water stress
already affects billions of people in the world, with millions expected to be
displaced by 2030 by intense water scarcity, heightened partly by climate
change60.
Global warming was already a challenge to the resilience of water and
sanitation systems, in addition to other trends, such as rapid urbanization
and aging infrastructure. The International Finance Corporation estimates a
need to invest about USD 114 billion/year up to 2030 in developing countries
to close the water sector infrastructure gap, in addition to the cost of
maintaining and upgrading existing networks in the developed world. It
also notes that COVID-19 is projected to slow down most investments in
the water sector worldwide. In addition to that, a decline was observed in
water demand by large industrial and commercial users due to lockdowns
and other restrictions, which resulted in reduced revenues to water utilities,
and deeper revenue loss is projected across the whole water supply chain61.
As a response to the crisis, and based on the importance of hygiene in
reducing the spread of the virus, measures such as partial suspension
of water billing for low-income users and moratoriums on water service
Chapter 2 Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis
17
cut-offs were implemented around the world. As a result, water and
wastewater utilities around the world expect revenue collections reductions
of 15 per cent on average, which could be compensated in the medium
term by well-governed markets (through installment payments of deferred
amounts, government transfers, and possibly tariff adjustments). The
water and sewerage industry is labour-intensive, and people working on
the sector were identified by many governments as essential workers.
However, the increased risk of contagion among utility staff and the
necessary social distancing protocols meant that only operationally critical
staff can be retained on site, which may cause disruptions to the continuity
of operations62.
The impacts of COVID-19 on the ocean and coastal zones are mixed. In
the near term, the decrease in sectoral pressures that lead to pollution,
overfishing, and habitat loss and conversion has led to a healthier
environment. Participants in an informal poll conducted by The Economist
in one of its World Ocean Initiative webinars ranked tourism and fisheries
as the ocean sectors most impacted by the crisis, followed by offshore oil
and gas, shipping, offshore renewables and aquaculture. But once these
activities resume, so will the pressures, and their impact. On the other
hand, the socioeconomic impact in some of these activities may linger for
a long time, such as those on coastal tourism jobs and businesses. The
livelihoods and food security of millions of people who depend on the
ocean and coastal zones to survive may also be seriously affected in the
near to mid-term63.
Additionally, the UN alerted that a number of the existing global observing
systems were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with impacts on the
quality of forecasts and other weather, climate and ocean-related services.
This is the result of the reduction of aircraft-based observations and
oceanographic research vessels being recalled to home ports, in addition
to disruptions in manually operated weather stations and other setbacks.
The UN expects the impacts on climate change monitoring to be long-term,
which will introduce gaps in the historical time series of essential climate
variables needed to monitor climate variability and change and associated
impacts64.
18 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Opportunities and Resources to Help Drive a Green
Resilient Recovery across the Marrakech Partnership
Thematic Areas
Energy
Universal access to sustainable energy is one of the Sustainable
Development Goals for 2030 (SDG 7), and the importance of reaching such
goal becomes even clearer in face of a health and socioeconomic crisis.
IEA published a special report on sustainable recovery, where it proposes
a Sustainable Recovery Plan with three main goals: boosting economic
growth, creating jobs and building more resilient and cleaner energy
systems. The Plan presents over 30 sector-specific energy measures that
governments can include in their economic recovery plans, focusing on
cost-effective measures that could be implemented between 2021–2023.
Spanning six key sectors – electricity, transport, industry, buildings, fuels
and emerging low-carbon technologies – the plan would increase global
GDP by 1.1 per cent in each of the next three years. It would also create
nearly 9 million new energy-related jobs (mainly in construction and
manufacturing) over the same period, and result in a reduction of annual
energy-related GHG emissions of 4.5 billion tonnes in 2023 in comparison
with what they would be otherwise. Air pollution emissions would also
decrease by five per cent as a result of the plan, reducing health risks
around the world.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) also published a report,
titled the Post-COVID Recovery, an Agenda for Resilience, Development and
Equality, where it posits that an accelerated energy transition could add
5.5 million more jobs by 2023, employing people in all regions of the world,
even where fossil-fuel jobs are now concentrated. Immediate investment
increases could put renewable power generation on track to grow five times
faster, and each million dollars invested in renewables or energy flexibility
would create at least 25 jobs, while each million invested in efficiency would
create about 10 jobs.
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), an organization working in the
intersection of SDG 7 and the Paris Agreement, has also launched a
series of regional guides addressing how countries can ‘Recover Better’,
prioritizing clean energy investments in their recovery plans and stimulus
packages and helping reset their economies and close energy access gaps.
Transport
As stated by ITF, 'Intervention to support aviation during the crisis will
need to be compatible with the long-term policy objectives of fostering
efficient aviation markets and meeting agreed climate change mitigation
targets'. While the Forum projects a serious decline in future demand for
air travel, and the retirement of older, less fuel-efficient aircraft, it also notes
that neither will have significant and durable impacts on CO2 emissions
from the sector. ITF mentions some of the sector existing measures to
reduce emissions, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization's
(ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
(CORSIA) and work on biofuels. Additionally, it suggests prioritization of
technological innovation in government support for aircraft manufacturing
for post-COVID-19 recovery, warning that 'aid to the sector must align
with existing sectoral policies to increase social welfare outcomes, both in
terms of environmental impacts and consumer benefits'65. Likewise, state
support packages to help the maritime sector to deal with the negative
economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis should align with broader public
policy objectives66.
Industry
In a publication about the consequences of COVID-19 for the decade
ahead, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
notes that recovery packages should be structured so as to ensure the
most vulnerable members of society get the best deal, and in the context
of business, that means prioritizing the interests of workers and SMEs.
It also posits that investments should ideally be used to kickstart the
decarbonization of economies, and create jobs in the process67.
The WBCSD has a dedicated page on COVID-19 response programme aimed
at helping address the crisis and support the critical role of business through
projects focusing on employee health and business recovery, vital supply
chains, and the long-term impacts of the crisis. 
WEF has established a COVID Action Platform, focused on galvanizing
the global business community for collective action, protecting people’s
livelihoods and facilitating business continuity, and mobilizing cooperation
and business support for the COVID-19 response.
ILO has a policy brief providing guidance to companies on good practices
on restructuring in response to the COVID-19 crisis, consistent with the
provisions of international labour standards.
Human Settlements
In a report on challenges and opportunities post-COVID-19, WEF notes that
many of the most able and agile responses to the crisis came from municipal
governments. It also observed that a number of cities around the world
are rethinking their design so as to make sure they are more sustainable
and inclusive, taking into consideration present and future threats so as
to implement resilient models. The report posits that the pandemic will
'trigger enduring changes to the built-space, city plans, building codes
and the rules governing city life everywhere', and that 'cities that pivot to
resilience, focus on their most vulnerable and adopt a zero-tolerance for
inequality will be the ones that survive and thrive in the 21st century'68.

The UN published a Policy Brief in June addressing how cities can take
conscious policy choices with respect to inequalities, local capacities and
a green, inclusive recovery to manage the crisis and emerge as hubs of
energy, resilience and innovation.
The Under2 Coalition launched a report in October (Building back greener)
collecting case studies from state and regional governments on how they
are seizing the opportunity to recover better, even while dealing with the
effects of a devastating crisis.   on how to prepare and respond to avoid magnified impacts due to co-
The C40 network of cities has created an implementation guide on 'How
to build back better with a 15-minute city' to encourage cities working on
COVID-19 recovery revive urban life safely and sustainably.
Land Use
Another Policy Brief launched by the UN focused on Food Security and
Nutrition, and how to avoid some of the worst impacts of the pandemic
on the sector while supporting the necessary green transition. The Brief
suggests sets of priority actions to address the immediate, near- and
medium-term needs to protect people during and beyond the crisis, and
ultimately to reshape and build resilient food systems.
FAO has set a COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme aimed at
addressing the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic in a proactive
and sustainable manner. It encompasses a series of policy tools aimed at
supporting policy analyses and assessing the impact of COVID-19 on food
and agriculture, value chains, food prices, and food security across the globe.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Policy Brief
which highlights the opportunities provided by investing in sustainable
forest management and forestry jobs in green recovery plans, and proposes
recommendations to ensure that forest-based solutions are considered
in such plans.
Water
The changes in water use observed during the COVID-19 pandemic pinpoint
the need for water resources management capacity to respond to sudden
shocks, while addressing the longer-term adaptation to climate-related
impacts on water resource availability and demand. Resilient and financially
robust water and wastewater utilities are in a better position to deal with
future climate and health related shocks. There is an opportunity for
decision-makers to reprioritize the water sector both in terms of investment
and policies, including increased investments in digital solutions, such
as automation and remote-control processes, that could help improve
efficiency and quality of water and sanitation services69.
Chapter 2 Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis
19
The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), in collaboration with
UNICEF, has mapped some of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
initiatives implemented by various countries in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. It also established a website dedicated to offer short- and long-
term advice for governments, regulators and utilities in how to respond
to the COVID-19 crisis in the water and sanitation sector.
The UN High-Level Experts and Leaders Panel (HELP) on water and disasters
released a set of Principles on how to address water-related disaster risk
reduction (DRR) under COVID-19. The aim is to offer practical advice to
stakeholders, such as political leaders and managers of DRR and COVID-19,
occurring disasters.
Oceans and Coastal Zones
WEF proposes five ways in which the ocean can contribute to a green
post-COVID recovery, highlighting opportunities for equitable, ecological
and economically attractive growth from food production and sustainable
fisheries to renewable energy. These proposed interventions can also
catalyze the growth of future industries and provide jobs, setting ocean
economy on a sustainable path, while significantly reducing their carbon
footprint.
The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy launched a report
in July (A Sustainable Ocean Economy for 2050) that builds on a previous
report on 'the Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change' to showcase the
opportunities of a blue recovery, as stakeholders such as policymakers,
financial institutions and local communities seek to reset, rebuild and
enhance resilience in a post-COVID-19 world. This research finds that
investing USD 2 to 3.7 trillion globally across four key areas – conserving
and restoring mangrove habitats, scaling up offshore wind production,
decarbonizing international shipping, and increasing the production of
sustainably sourced ocean-based proteins – from 2020 to 2050 would
generate USD 8.2 to 22.8 trillion in net benefits, a rate of return on
investment of 450–615 per cent.
Resilience
The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), the International
Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and the Global
Resilience Partnership (GRP) have initiated the Voices from the Frontline
project, under which a coalition of grassroots organizations and knowledge
partners have come forward to document the challenges and solutions
emerging from community-led responses to the COVID-19 crisis. These
lessons shine a light on how local communities are self-organizing to combat
the spread of the virus and supporting the most vulnerable within their
communities. They may also help to identify how these can be used to
build climate resilience, and at the same time deliver wider benefits, for
example in terms of food security.
20 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Crises are moments of profound change. But they can also be used
as a lesson on how to improve and avoid other crises, especially
those that are already on the horizon. As Michele Wucker summed
up, 'The important part [of a grey rhino event] is that it gives you
a choice – either you get trampled, or you hop on the back of
the rhino and use the crisis as an opportunity'70. In this sense,
this unprecedented crisis can provide the opportunity to shift
to a more resilient and prosperous world. This is the moment
to devote time to a more thorough analysis of how future public
and private spending can be directed towards more sustainable
measures, which will accrue far larger long-term benefits and
stability at all levels.
Besides the sectoral opportunities provided above, three main
recommendations enshrined in the Paris Agreement and the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development can help provide guidance
on how to address the compounding crises and reach the goals
both frameworks seek to achieve:
1
Enhance Cooperation
One thing to take from the COVID-19 crisis is the immense
capacity human systems have for cooperation during times
of distress. People and communities around the world rallied
to help one another. Scientists and professionals from diverse
fields collaborated in a number of studies to tackle some of
the challenges posed by the pandemic. Local and regional
governments partnered up not only with their own federal-level
governments, but also with other countries, academia, businesses
and institutions at each and every level to provide for safety
equipment, medical resources and other solutions, such as the
development of vaccines.
As Professor Ngaire Woods pointed out in her article for WEF's
'Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-COVID-19 World', global
leaders in the 1940s understood that cooperation was the key to
rebuild from two World Wars interspersed by an unprecedented
economic recession – a lesson learned from their previous
failure to do so right after the First World War. Redeveloping a
global economy within which every country can recover and
grow requires cooperative planning, putting aside geopolitical
differences to fight a common enemy71.
Stressing one of the key messages from the UN Comprehensive
Response report, it will take a concerted effort to chart a course
out of the COVID-19 crisis and towards a better future, and in
order to do so, it will be necessary to strengthen the structures
for cooperating at the global level so that we are better prepared
for the next such crisis.
2
Seek Balance
The increase in highly transmissible zoonotic diseases has a direct
correlation with the instability caused by the encroachment of
human activities in natural systems. About 75 per cent of new
infectious diseases affecting humans come from animals, and
the drivers for this emergence are usually human changes to
the environment, such as land use change and loss of habitat,
which cause closer interaction between wildlife and human
settlements72. But the increased incidence of epidemic outbreaks
of infectious diseases is just one facet of the problem. The
excesses in human activities – that is, our collective ecological
footprint – are collapsing the Earth's capacity. We are currently
using the equivalent to 1.6 Earths per year in ecological resources
and services, exhausting our global budget way before the Earth
can regenerate.
The imbalances in how we are using the natural systems are
also translated into imbalances in how the Earth population is
impacted. The most vulnerable in society are the first to suffer
the consequences, and in a disproportionate manner. This
became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic as well – the poor,
the elderly and the infirm are at higher risk of infection and the
socioeconomic impacts of the crisis. Women are also affected the
harder during any economic crisis, as they tend to earn less, have
fewer savings, have less access to social protections, occupy the
larger proportion in the informal economy and are more likely
to take on unpaid care and domestic work. They also make up
70 per cent of all health workers and first responders, but earn
less for the same job73. These economic vulnerabilities are partly
the reason women are also at higher risk from the impacts of
climate change74. It should be noted that, in addition to potential
future pandemics, the impacts of climate change on health will
also lead to spillovers, such as increased number of deaths by
malaria, diarrhea and heat stress, for example. As it is the case
with other adverse impacts, the poorest and most vulnerable will
be affected the most75.
The fact is that the pandemic has both deepened and exposed
pre-existing global imbalances on all fronts. For instance, while
income inequality has increased in some countries and declined
in others in the past few decades, globally, income and wealth are
increasingly concentrated at the top – meaning the richest one per
cent of the population now own half the world’s total wealth. And
though inequality among countries has been declining in relative
terms, there are still sharp differences among some countries and
regions. The average income of people living in Northern America
is 16 times higher than that of people in sub-Saharan Africa, for
example76. With the pandemic's socioeconomic hit to global
growth, however, poverty levels are increasing and inequality is
accelerating between and within countries. The poorer parcels
of the world population are bearing the brunt of the crisis – both

in developing and developed countries. While over 44 million
people lost their jobs in the United States (US) between April and
June 2020, for instance, the country's top billionaires saw an
increase in wealth of 26 per cent. In fact, during this period, the
combined wealth of US billionaires actually increased to a total
of USD 3.6 trillion – considerably more than the entire wealth of
all 54 countries on the African continent77.
As pointed out in WEF's report on challenges and opportunities
in the post-COVID-19 world, 'Our chain is only as strong as its
weakest link'78. A recovery process that is truly sustainable and
transformative has to address the systemic imbalances that
exacerbates our vulnerabilities to present and future shocks, so
that we can build healthier societies.
3
Build Resilience
Resilience is a concept that is not only very familiar, but also quite
dear to the climate community. It perfuses all thematic areas of
the Marrakech Partnership and it features strongly in the Climate
Action Pathways that are the subject of the next chapter. The
concept of climate resilience varies, but can largely be understood
as the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous
events, trends, or disturbances related to climate79.
The concept of building resilience as a way to cope with
disturbances is also being progressively incorporated into other
areas, and linked with other mechanisms traditionally used
to address potential threats and prevent crises, such as risk
management procedures80 and asset valuations. The WBCSD
predicts that the costs associated with transition and physical
climate risks will be a natural requirement by financial markets,
for example81.
In order to build resilience to any shock successfully, it is necessary
to go beyond short-term solutions and think in the longer term.
When put into the perspective of likely future disasters instead
of eventual ones, for example, the cost-effectiveness of a range
of measures that would otherwise seem too expensive may be
perceived more positively.
In consonance with this approach, the WBCSD has also launched
an Issue Brief specifically focusing on how companies can build
greater long-term resilience through improved approaches to
corporate risk management, human and social capital, and
environmental, social and governance (ESG) information, aimed
at better preparing for future events and disruptions.
As one of its recommendations, the Brief notes businesses should
accept that a company’s resilience encompasses ecosystems,
communities, economies, the rule of law, effective governance
and governments, and more. It also warns that collaboration – with
peers, partners, governments and regulators, for example – is
Chapter 2 Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis
21
crucial to achieving long-term resilience, and that 'even the
best-run organizations will not be able to successfully tackle and
survive disruptions while operating in a flawed and fundamentally
unsustainable system'82.
Building greater resilience at all levels of society, as it turns out,
will depend on a better cooperation among actors and a more
balanced relationship of humans within our natural and social
systems. This will ultimately be the key for our transition into a
more equitable, resilient and sustainable world.
An important lesson learned from COVID-19 is how much we
depend on each other for our health systems, as well as for
our food systems and supply chains. This dependency further
emphasises the need for cooperation and multilateralism as the
way forward. In particular, it underlines the importance of the
Marrakech Partnership in the context of helping the world to
recover better by ensuring a bridge between Parties and non-Party
stakeholders to amplify and intensify the climate action needed
at this moment.
The High-Level Champions are working on innovative ways
to cooperate, such as greater participation in the Marrakech
Partnership with a broader regional distribution, facilitated by
virtual connectivity. The Race to Zero campaign is an example
of how to promote a more ambitious level of cooperation. In
parallel, in understanding the importance of building resilience
and reducing risks in both the COVID-19 and climate crises,
the Champions will also launch a sister campaign focused on
resilience. In order for this recovery to be sustainable, it is essential
to transition to a fairer and more resilient society.
The Climate Action Pathways, which will be discussed in the next
chapter, outline the actions needed to achieve a world that is
resilient and in line with the 1.5oC limit. More than just seeking
to reduce emissions, the actions delineated by the Pathways
aim to be in balance with the natural systems. It is now crucial
for stakeholders to pivot and put nature at the heart of their
organizations.
COP 26 has been postponed due to COVID-19. This interruption
may have seemed to have slowed the negotiations, but it has
not halted action – especially from non-Party stakeholders. On
the contrary, despite the impacts from the COVID-19 crisis, a
large number of non-Party stakeholders are determined to build
back better by investing in more resilient and more sustainable
action. The commitment of these stakeholders to a green resilient
recovery can provide a blueprint and great encouragement for
Parties to follow suit, and use this extra year to catalyze action
on the road to the COP. Inspired by the solidarity and cooperation
among actors that this crisis has shown possible, there is hope
for a healthier and safer path not just to Glasgow but to a better
future.
22 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Photo: Izuddin Helmi Adnan.

 Chapter 3 Looking Forwards
23

Chapter 3

Looking Forwards

The Climate Action Pathways

The Climate Action Pathways are a vital part of the Marrakech

Partnership tools to enhance climate action and ambition towards
fully implementing the Paris Agreement. First launched in 2019,
they set out sectoral visions for achieving a 1.5oC resilient
world in 2050, with overarching transformational milestones,
and key impacts that need to be achieved to realize them. The
Pathways are the result of the consolidated work, outcomes
and recommendations throughout the year of the Marrakech
Partnership and related forums under the leadership of the High-
Level Champions. As such, they are intended as living documents,
to be updated periodically with the latest information and lessons
learned as the state of climate action evolves. 

For this year, the Champions’ vision was to update the actions and
milestones needed for system transformations within sectors,
by also focusing on the synergies and interlinkages across the
thematic and cross-cutting areas, thereby assisting all actors to
take an integrated approach. The 2020 Pathways aim to provide
a roadmap to help Parties and non-Party stakeholders alike to
identify actions needed by 2021, 2025, 2030 and 2040 as steps
to get to the 2050 vision.
The 2020 Pathways incorporate insights about the exponential
nature of the necessary systemic and technological change. The
Pathways use the same thematic approach as the Marrakech
Partnership to help coordinate climate action across every
thematic area, thus maximizing the opportunities for cooperation
and accelerated progress. It recognizes that all stakeholders
need to work together to effect real and lasting change, and
acknowledges that each stakeholder group has something unique
to bring. Within the context of the Pathways, these stakeholders
can be broadly defined as policymakers (national, subnational,
local), business and service providers, financial institutions,
technology providers and innovators and civil society.
The 2020 Pathways anticipate that the transition to net zero
will occur through exponential change. The term ‘exponential’
helps capture the speed of change expected (i.e. very rapid) as
well as the nature of that change (i.e. non-linear). The image of a
hockey-stick is often used to illustrate the very sudden and sharp
shift in trajectory that exponential change brings. It breaks with
conventional notions of step-by-step, consequential change,
replacing it instead with something altogether more dramatic
and urgent.
For the High-Level Champions, the best image to illustrate
exponential change is that of an S Curve. The shape of the “S”
captures the exponential course they envision for the net zero
transition; namely, moments of slow or imperceptible change
followed by periods of dramatic progress. The snaking curve of
the “S” figure illustrates that the nature of the change ahead will
not only be non-linear but is also likely to be multi-stage. This
reflects the existence of many potential catalysts for change,
which may not necessarily be triggered at the same time. As each
catalyst emerges, so new momentum and energy will be given to
the transition process.
Exponential, non-linear change has been central to all major
shifts in human history - think of the shift from horse and cart
to the automobile, or from coal power to gas, for example.
Exponential change is also increasingly how change occurs on
a digitally-connected planet of inter-dependent economies and
cross-cutting systems of government. Ripple effects no longer
undulate, they surge.
The Pathways set out to help identify and mobilize precisely
these kinds of breakthrough moments or ‘tipping points’. These
can potentially emerge from top-down changes, such as the
introduction of new public policies and a shift in investment
patterns, or from bottom-up phenomena, such as consumer
pressure and technological innovation. The Pathways make
provision for both eventualities.
24 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
While each of the individual Pathways addresses a specific
thematic area, they are intentionally designed to be in continual
conversation with one another. This is because each Pathway area
is, in reality, a sub-system of an overarching and interconnected
macro-system. Fixing one sub-system in isolation will not deliver
the net-zero world we need; we require all these sub-systems to
be fixed and working in concert. The Pathways are therefore best
seen as playing an interactive role, with changes in one thematic
area facilitating or accelerating change in another. Below are some
illustrative examples:
» Transport liquid fuels: The Energy Pathway sets out a vision
for the production of 652 billion litres per year of advanced
liquid biofuels. For this breakthrough measure to stick it
will require demand. Hence, the milestones laid out in the
Transport Pathways for carbon-intensive transport industries
such as aviation and shipping to shift away from fossil fuels
and to adopt more sustainable alternatives.
» Low-carbon mining: The Industry Pathway anticipates a
substantial uptake in renewable energy by mining companies
and metal producers. Ideally, for example, 50 per cent of
electricity consumed by mine operators around the world
will be zero-emission by 2030. This feeds into the phased
increase in renewable power generation foreseen in the
Energy Pathway, which includes a milestone of 60 per cent
of all electric power coming from zero-carbon sources by the
same date.
» Sustainable coastal communities: The Oceans and Coastal
Zones Pathway sets out an ambitious strategy for increasing
the resilience and adaptive capacity of coastal communities.
Part of this will be achieved by nature-based solutions, such as
the restoration of salt marshes, seagrasses and other coastal
landscapes. This dovetails with the vision laid out in the Land
Use Pathway, which sets out a goal of restoring at least 200
million hectares of degraded land between 2020 by 2030. The
two Pathways also concur in the key role that citizen groups
have to play in both informing and delivering these land-based
solutions.
» Waste-free cities: Waste is a major cause of unnecessary
energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Hence,
the driving ambition of the Human Settlements Pathway to
create zero-waste cities. This includes goals to reduce and
ultimately eliminate the release of waste pollutants into
urban water courses. This will only be possible if urban water
management is radically improved. Fortunately, this is a
central goal of the Water Pathway, which sets the ambition for
governments around the world to integrate urban wastewater
management into their NDCs by 2025. Similarly, it envisions a
transition to aerobic technologies such as composting toilets,
a boon for cities in low-income countries where use of non-
flush latrines is still widespread. In turn, this also supports the
ambition of the Resilience Pathway to improve the resilience
of 600 million slum dwellers by 2030.
» Zero-emission fleets: One of the significant strands to the
retail sector's net zero transition is to reduce the footprint of
its transport fleets. The Industry Pathway sets a course for
retailers to have 100 per cent zero-carbon fleets of light goods
vehicles by 2030 and heavy goods vehicles by 2040. Retailers
are not automakers, however, which is why the Transport
Pathway’s inclusion of the need for vehicle manufacturers
to phase out combustion engine models is so important.
Likewise, its plans for the full electrification of rail should
accelerate retailers’ efforts to achieve net-zero transport
emissions.
The Champions and the Marrakech Partnership community also
set out key guidelines for the development of the 2020 Pathways.
Namely, they should be:
Ambitious: Every Pathway makes provision for self-reinforcing
feedback. This is seen most clearly in the attention given to
positive demand signals. These signals take many different
forms, from large corporate buyers expressing a preference for
low-carbon freight to citizen groups increasing their leisure use of
restored coastal zones. These actions have the effect, either direct
or indirect, of encouraging other stakeholders to act. Whoever
the intended audience, the intention is to apply the push-pull logic
of demand and supply to build a virtuous circle of support for
net-zero action.
Resilient: As mentioned in the previous Chapter, building
resilience is of the utmost importance to ensure a safer and
sustainable future. Nation states and other stakeholders face
demands on all sides, from support for economic recovery and
environmental conservation to the provision of social mobility
and global security. The measures laid out in the Pathways rest
on a belief that transitioning to net zero can help deliver multiple
outcomes. Climate action is not an 'either-or' equation, in
other words; a net-zero system should be as anti-exclusion and
pro-prosperity system as it is climate-safe. A good example of
resilience’s many virtues is the Pathway’s promotion of a more
circular use of raw materials. Not only will a more circular approach
to manufacturing and consumption decrease emissions, it will also
create green jobs, protect biodiversity, and improve the security
of future supply.
Adaptable: Despite the clear milestones and sense of direction
provided by the Pathways, they should not be seen as rigid or
immutable. Transitioning to net zero is a dynamic affair. Actors
need to be able to adapt in light of events. Such events could
take the form of breakthrough technologies, for instance, or
unexpected shocks like the current COVID-19 pandemic. With
this in mind, the Pathways leave space within their overarching
transition strategies for fresh innovation and responsive
decision-making.
 Chapter 3 Looking Forwards
25

Science-based: Reflecting the science-oriented nature of the

Paris Agreement, the Champions ensured scientific rigor in the
Climate Action Pathways by receiving feedback from scientists to
the draft. The milestones included in the Pathways, for example,
are aligned with the end goal of keeping average temperature
rise within 1.5oC and achieve climate resilience. The measures
suggested are also strongly grounded in existing scientific
observation and analysis. This same commitment to scientific
rigor extends to the more cutting-edge proposals included in the
Pathways.

Experimental: As with any innovation process, the transition

to net zero involves a degree of experimentalism. This is often
where breakthrough moments occur. Yet, such experimentation is
always conceived within the judicious parameters of the scientific
and evidence-based method. By their very nature, the viability
of proposed solutions is difficult to assess ex-ante to bring them
to fruition. A solution may appear hugely impactful on paper,
only to prove ineffective when applied in practice. This has to
do not only with the efficacy of the solution itself, but the wider
context in which it is deployed. Many factors need to sync up for
a tipping point to be reached. Early experimentation in real-world
conditions is therefore essential. Hence, the injunction in most
of the Pathways to carry out large-scale pilots for high-potential
solutions. The lessons and insights from these pilots can then
inform a wider roll-out.

Equitable: The Pathways are universal in scope and holistic in

vision. They seek the optimal result for the entire planet and for
society as a whole. At the same time as being more climate-secure, Photo: Manny Moreno.

a net-zero world is one that is more inclusive, more prosperous,

and fairer for all. That said, the Champions express a particular
concern for those most affected by the impacts of climate change.
For this reason, a number of measures place special emphasis
on protecting the lives and livelihoods of at-risk populations,
many of whom are already vulnerable from pre-existing social,
environmental or economic factors.
response to the challenges we face. Similarly, by embracing the
Pathways’ vision for change, the signal goes back to decision-
makers that demand for climate solutions is strong. In these ways,
ambition spreads and aspiration level rise.

Achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires us to

For the High-Level Champions, the chief ambition is for the
Pathways to help normalize the idea of a net-zero future. The goal
of achieving a 1.5o C climate-resilient world is already a political
reality. As this fact takes root and net zero becomes understood as
our common destiny, so momentum will build and opportunities
for collective action will increase.
undertake a major transition, from where we are today to where
we need to be by 2050. The journey is challenging and time is
short. For both these reasons, it is vital that we have a clear map of
the route ahead. The Climate Action Pathways are that map. They
lay out a shared plan for arriving at the future destination we have
collectively agreed upon; namely, the creation of a climate-resilient
world based on achieving a 1.5oC future.

It is the Champions' hope that climate trailblazers will be inspired

by the Pathways to take bold steps towards achieving the various
milestones. Not only will this make a direct difference, but it will
also encourage others to see climate action as the unavoidable
26 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Figure 4
Reflections on the Future of the
Marrakech Partnership Key priorities from the High-Level Champions

At its twenty-fifth session, the Conference of the Parties (COP)

   5
acknowledged the important role of non-Party stakeholders,
welcomed the continuation of the Marrakech Partnership for
Global Climate Action and decided to continue appointing
High-Level Champions until 2025, requesting the Champions to
explore ways to improve work under the Marrakech Partnership
Deliver a 10x increase in
for enhancing ambition. In response to this request, the High-Level
Champions have been conducting a robust and thorough process
net-zero and resilience
for the past year, and will continue to do so in 2021. commitments from
non-Party stakeholders
Despite the delay in COP 26 due to COVID-19, the work of the (NPS)
Marrakech Partnership and the High-Level Champions was on
full speed in 2020. Building on work carried out last year with
the launch of the Climate Ambition Alliance and the first version
of the Climate Action Pathways, the Marrakech Partnership Drive breakthrough
stakeholders and the Champions have continued to ramp up work systems
across all sectors and with all types of actors. As laid out in the transformation
work programme for 2020-2021, the High-Level Champions have
for 10 sectors
focused on: significantly increasing non-Party commitments and
action toward achieving a resilient net-zero economy through
the Race to Zero campaign – and the development of a sister
campaign, Race to Resilience; working with a diverse range of
influential actors within and across sectors to clarify and align Enhance engagement
around a shared vision and roadmap to achieve net zero; fostering and agency
collaboration in support of the concrete actions needed from across NPS groups
Parties and non-Party stakeholders to activate the ambition loop in
order to trigger the rapid systemic change needed to achieve the
Paris Agreement goals; and amplifying the progress and evidence
of this exponential transformation already underway. Support countries
ambition and
Through vitalized collaboration among Parties and non-Party implementation
stakeholders, across and within sectors and through all levels of
through NPS action
government, the High-Level Champions intend to drive systemic
breakthroughs in all major sectors, targeting breakthroughs in at
least ten sectors in 2021. Doing so requires identifying key actors,
aligning them around a shared vision, and getting a critical mass
across the system to commit to doing their part. Increase dialogues
on climate action
Figure 4 to the right showcases the High-Level Champions' and progress
priorities in driving the changes in the Marrakech Partnership in
order to enhance ambition and climate action.

+1 Refresh the Marrakech

Partnership for Global
Climate Action for
the next five years and
beyond
 Chapter 3 Looking Forwards
27

To comply with the COP 25 request, the High-Level Champions
also conducted an open process to gather feedback, including 42
written submissions from Parties, groups of Parties (representing
in total more than 100 Parties), non-Party stakeholders and
meetings with negotiating groups. They have also received
input and feedback through informal discussions with hundreds
of stakeholders, and have been learning by doing together
throughout the year – all of which has begun to crystallize a vision
for how best to strengthen the Global Climate Action Agenda to be
a driver of action in the short-term, to ensure the Paris Agreement
4
Increase inclusion and diversity.
A broader diversity of actors should be meaningfully and
consistently involved. It is clear that more involvement and
representation from developing countries and an updated
structure that empowers local actors in all regions, connecting
them to each other and to the global structure, are needed.

5
long-term goals are met.
Establish a sustained, coherent
A number of core themes and messages have emerged clearly in structure.
the feedback and discussions: Many have identified the need for a more permanent and
predictable infrastructure to support continuity of implementation
and foster genuine and sustained solutions-oriented collaboration

1
among Parties and non-Party stakeholders. The Marrakech
Partnership must support working together in a regular rhythm
Be Bold. ​ throughout the year and around the world to drive real action
The time is now to move into implementation, accelerate progress on the ground.
and work together to raise ambition for driving down emissions,
building resilience and scaling up finance. The science is clear,

the Paris framework has set a clear direction, the negotiations of
the rulebook are progressing to be completed, there is no time
to waste, and there is support from all sides to strengthen the
Marrakech Partnership into a central driver of implementation
and action.
6
Strengthen accountability, tracking
and narrative.
There were repeated calls to the global climate action community
to help provide a widely understood and shared sense of progress,
both to ensure accountability and build a stronger and compelling

2
narrative around opportunity and leadership, what is working
and where, and how all the activity and action comes together
Innovate. toward a common goal, including contributing substantively and
Parties and non-Parties alike have expressed their support for constructively to the global stocktake.
innovation and change, recognizing the shift into a new phase
of the climate crisis and our collective response to it. While
feedback on the Marrakech Partnership’ activities over the past
five years has been positive, it was mentioned that the Champions
must be creative and innovative on the look ahead, to ensure
the Marrakech Partnership is updated and fit-for-purpose at this
critical time.

Strengthen Party and non-Party

connection.
Successful implementation of the Paris Agreement depends
3
on all actors coming together. The Marrakech Partnership is a
unique and important bridge between Parties and non-Parties,
and both are asking that it be set up to do more to help bring
them together. The High-Level Champions are being called to help
link the growing momentum and action in the non-negotiation
space more directly in support of NDCs, National Adaptation
Plans (NAPs), and long-term strategies' implementation and
enhancement. These instruments can also be helpful in driving a
green resilient recovery.
28 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
Photo: Noaa.
Improving the Marrakech Partnership to
Drive Action
It is clear that the Marrakech Partnership is a unique platform to
foster collaboration, align influential actors around a shared vision
to galvanize action and drive truly systemic change across the
economy, as is the role of the High-Level Champions. As the formal
space for non-Party stakeholders in the UNFCCC process, it must
serve as a bridge between Parties and non-Parties to accelerate
the positively reinforcing ambition loop on both sides, enabling
them to accelerate the collective implementation of the Paris
Agreement.
The mandate of the High-Level Champions and the Marrakech
Partnership have been extended through 2025, a critical period
in which there is a need to see a step change in climate action and
progress in order to get on track to limit warming to 1.5oC. The
improved, evolved and updated Marrakech Partnership must be a
key enabler of that step change, starting on the road to COP 26 in
2021 and carrying us to this decisive decade of implementation.
As the UN Secretary General says, there is a need to enter a new
era of “inclusive multilateralism”. Now is the time to build and
refine a new infrastructure for ambitious climate action that will
steadily build momentum across the economy. Improving the
Marrakech Partnership is not only about updating the governance
or structure of this work stream. The High-Level Champions' aim
is to contribute to the Parties for a step change in the way the
world comes together to address climate change, connecting
the massive movement of global climate action underway with
the formal process under UNFCCC. The Champions intend to kick
off for the decade of delivery with a COP 26 that is energized,
inclusive and solutions-oriented, and that sets increased ambition
and bold action.
The core principles around which the Champions are organizing
the breakthrough approach to a stronger and nimbler architecture
that serves as the backbone for climate action globally, regionally
and locally have the following guidelines:
Be guided by science – To limit warming to 1.5oC and curb the
impacts of climate change, scientific evidence dictates a carbon
neutral world should be achieved by 2050 at the latest. As such,
the goal of a net-zero resilient world is the guiding star of the
Champions' work, and the base of their definition for ambition, as
the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns show.
Take a systems approach – In order for increased ambition and
bold action to be realized, common pathways must be defined,
relevant actors must be mapped – as well as potential barriers
and enablers – and all levers should be utilized to push for change.
Foster vitalized collaboration – Any potential divides should
be bridged, so as to best connect actors within and across
systems and support them where they need it most, facilitating
coordination, reducing fragmentation and bringing new initiatives
together.
 Chapter 3 Looking Forwards
29

Drive exponential change – Analyses around the pace and
shape of technological change should be used as examples to
ensure that the Climate Action Pathways and any other plans
are informed by a rigorous understanding of the dynamics of
exponential growth that drive the diffusion and deployment of
technologies and solutions. Similarly, sectoral S curves defining the
technology adoption rates needed to deliver sectoral pathways
should be provided to encourage more ambitious action.
connectivity and work throughout the year in support of non-
Party stakeholders working on climate action. The intention is
not to duplicate existing non-Party initiatives and work, but to
add value and provide the central backbone around which the
community can organize itself through shared system-wide goals
and pathways, address gaps and to strengthen connectivity
between Champions year on year so each Champion can hit the
ground running.

Accelerate the ambition loop – Aligning non-Party stakeholders
with the ambition mechanisms of the Paris Agreement can help
accelerate the positive feedback loop in which bold government
policies and non-Party stakeholder leadership reinforce each
other, and together they can take climate action to the next level.
Likewise, it is important to strengthen the support from the non-
state actor community to Parties so that they can identify and
accelerate opportunities for ambition enhancement.
Maximize diversity and inclusion – Bringing in all actors
from across sectors and society, and from around the world in
a transparent way will ensure inclusive and creative problem
solving, in a platform where all feel safe, empowered and have
a role to play.
Looking ahead to the Global Stocktake in 2023, already next
year the High-Level Champions intend to develop and put into
practice a strong, objective, transparent and replicable process for
assessing the state of systems transformation in key sectors with
clear linkages to NDCs and the needs of Parties. This is to ensure
that the non-Party stakeholders provide concrete and actionable
information into the stocktake, and align themselves around
opportunities to accelerate progress and support increased
ambition in the next five year cycle. The first such ‘non-Party
stakeholder stocktake of progress’ should be published ahead
of COP 26 and become a key annual deliverable of the Marrakech
Partnership.
The High-Level Champions are also planning to review and
refresh criteria for participation in the Marrakech Partnership
that embeds alignment with a 1.5 oC resilient future, and update
governance focused on science-based ambition, inclusive,
vitalized collaboration and solutions oriented-convenings and
work programs.
The decade ahead will be crucial for achieving the Paris Agreement
goals – a small and closing window in which the need for urgent
action can still be met in time, if collective action is taken swiftly
and with shared purpose and direction. This calls for leadership
in all corners of society. The Marrakech Partnership and the
Champions can and must provide a core and go-to space in which
that leadership can converge, collaborate and execute together. In
order for this to happen, the High-Level Champions look forward to
continuing to work closely with Parties and non-Party stakeholders
to refine this vision and develop a concrete plan in the early part
of 2021.

The Champions intend to create an open source set of supporting

tools and progress indicators, building on the Marrakech
Partnership Climate Action Pathways, in order to scale up support
to Parties in their development and implementation of enhanced
NDCs, NAPs, and long-term strategies, around which the climate
action community can align and organize their work, including
collaboration with financial institutions and policymakers.

They also aim to create a renewed architecture for the Marrakech

Partnership that establishes an agile, but durable infrastructure,
with a balance representation around the world, supporting the
work of implementation of the Paris Agreement, bridging between
Parties and non-Party stakeholders throughout the year. For this
agile, durable and balanced architecture to be possible, it should
include a sustainable and predictable support infrastructure in
the UNFCCC secretariat and in the Champions team to assist the
High-Level Champions and the Marrakech Partnership. Support
should also be provided in underrepresented regions to amplify
30 Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

Photo: Nariman Mesharrafa.

 References
31

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